Brick laying device

Abstract

A building block spacer mat ( 14 ) comprises a plurality of spacer elements ( 18 ) provided at intervals on a support structure ( 16, 22 ). Adjacent spacer elements, ( 18 ) are provided at 90° to one another and 45° to the support structure to provide additional structural stability.

1 . A building block spacer mat for spacing building blocks in conjunction with bonding material comprising first and second spacer elements disposed non-parallel to one another.  
   
   
       2 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 1  in which the spacer mat is generally planar and is elongate in a first dimension and has a second dimension perpendicular to the first dimension and in a plane of the spacer mat and a third dimension perpendicular to the plane of the spacer mat.  
   
   
       3 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 2  further comprising a support element for supporting the spacer elements wherein adjacent spacer elements on the support element are non-parallel.  
   
   
       4 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 3  in which at least a portion of the spacer elements project outwardly from the support element in the second dimension.  
   
   
       5 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 4  in which the spacer elements are supported at their center in the second dimension and/or third dimension by the support element.  
   
   
       6 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the spacer elements are disposed non-parallel to the support element.  
   
   
       7 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 2  in which the spacer elements are at an angle in the range 10° to 80° to the first dimension.  
   
   
       8 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 2  in which the spacer elements are provided at intervals in the first dimension.  
   
   
       9 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 8  in which the spacer elements are provided at intervals in the second dimension.  
   
   
       10 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 2  in which the spacer elements are tapered in the third dimension.  
   
   
       11 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 3  in which the spacer elements have cut-out portions aligned with the support element.  
   
   
       12 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the first and second support elements are located at an end of the mat, in which the first and second support elements are continuous.  
   
   
       13 . A building block spacer mat for spacing building blocks in conjunction with bonding material, the spacer mat having a plurality of spacer elements having a cut-out portion.  
   
   
       14 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 13  in which the spacer elements are supported on support elements and in which the cut-out portions are dimensioned to receive the support elements.  
   
   
       15 . A building block spacer mat for spacing building blocks in conjunction with bonding material, the mat including a plurality of spacer elements supported by support elements including first and second support elements located at an end of the mat in which the first and second support elements are continuous across the end of the mat.  
   
   
       16 . A building block spacer mat for spacing building blocks in conjunction with bonding material, the mat including a plurality of spacer elements supported by support elements and having an elongate dimension in which at least a portion of the spacer elements projects outwardly from the support elements transverse to the elongate dimension.  
   
   
       17 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 16  in which the spacer elements are supported at their center in a transverse dimension by the support elements.  
   
   
       18 . A building block spacer mat for spacing building blocks in conjunction with bonding material, the spacer mat being generally planar and having an elongate first dimension in a plane of the spacer mat and a second dimension in the plane of the spacer mat perpendicular to the first dimension and a plurality of spacer elements supported by support elements, in which the support elements are configured to rest substantially at an edge of a building block in use.  
   
   
       19 . A method of laying building blocks comprising laying a first course of building blocks, laying thereon a spacer mat as claimed in  claim 1 , laying a layer of bonding material on the spacer mat and laying a second course of building blocks on the bonding material.  
   
   
       20 . A building block spacer mat for spacing building blocks in conjunction with bonding material comprising a plurality of spacer elements supported on a support element extending in an elongate direction in which the spacer elements are provided at intervals in an elongate direction arranged to coincide with building block boundaries.  
   
   
       21 . A building block spacer mat for spacing building blocks in conjunction with bonding material, the spacer mat having a plurality of spacer elements provided therein at intervals, wherein one of the spacer elements is located at an end of the mat and is continuous.  
   
   
       22 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the mat is elongate in a first dimension and the spacer elements are provided at intervals in the first dimension.  
   
   
       23 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the one of the spacer elements is thickened with respect to the other spacer elements.  
   
   
       24 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the spacer elements have at least one tapered end.  
   
   
       25 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 22  wherein spacer elements other than the one of the spacer elements are provided at intervals in a second dimension.  
   
   
       26 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the mat further comprises a support element for supporting the spacer elements at intervals, wherein the support element is provided intermediate a top and bottom of the spacer elements.  
   
   
       27 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 21  further comprising a retaining clip for locating the spacer mat on a building block.  
   
   
       28 . A retaining clip for locating a spacer as claimed in  claim 21 .  
   
   
       29 . A building block structure comprising a plurality of building blocks bonded by bonding material in which a spacer mat as claimed in  claim 21  is embedded in the bonding material.  
   
   
       30 . A building block as claimed in  claim 29 , further comprising a further structure fastened to the building block structure by a fastener passing into the one of the spacer elements of the spacer mat.  
   
   
       31 . A building block spacer mat apparatus for spacing building blocks in conjunction with bonding material, comprising a spacer mat having a plurality of spacer elements provided therein at intervals and a retaining clip for locating the spacer mat on a building block.  
   
   
       32 . A building block spacer mat apparatus for spacing building blocks in conjunction with bonding material, comprising a spacer mat having a plurality of spacer elements provided therein at intervals and at least one spacer element of the plurality of spacer elements having at least one tapered end.  
   
   
       33 . A method of laying building blocks comprising laying a first course of building blocks having a course boundary, laying thereon a spacer mat as claimed in  claim 1 , laying a layer of bonding material on the spacer mat, and laying a second course of building blocks.  
   
   
       34 . A method as claimed in  claim 33  further comprising locating the spacer mat on the first course with a retaining clip.  
   
   
       35 . A building block structure comprising a plurality of building blocks bonded by bonding material and spaced by a spacer mat as claimed in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       36 . (canceled)  
   
   
       37 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 7  in which the spacer elements are at an angle in the range 30° to 60° to the first dimension.  
   
   
       38 . A spacer mat as claimed in  claim 37  in which the spacer elements are at an angle approximately 45° to the first dimension.